Target game



y 1940- E. w. KmKARD 2,201,865

TARGET GAME Filed Nov. 25, 1938 2 3 4 5 6 7 a slzfizmt 32 d rikesa/ 23/2323 .Spare 80/15 3 V IN V EN TOR. EDWARD WKR/E/(AAD 4M, an

ATTORNEY.

Patented May 21, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TARGET GAME Edward W. Kriekard, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Application November 25, 1938, Serial No. 242,267

1 Claim.

This invention relates to games and apparatus therefore and has particular relation to a base ball pitchers and fielders target game and the apparatus for playing such a game.

In playing baseball accuracy in the control in throwing the baseball is very important, and particularly so with pitchers and fielders. The area above the home plate and between the batters knees and shoulders presents a relatively small area through which a pitcher must pitch a ball to obtain a strike. Likewise in fielding,

the ball must be accurately thrown so that the.

receiver may catch the ball without leaving his post.

In order to obtain accuracy and control, it is desirable and it is an object of my invention to provide means whereby the ball player may throw repeatedly at a target, and it is desirable that this target be so constructed as to indicate whether the ball thrown passed through a certain Well defined area corresponding to the area above the home plate.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide a target device which will not only indicate when a ball is thrown through a certain predetermined area, but will also. catch the ball so thrown.

It is another object of my invention to provide means whereby this pitching practice may be carried on as a competitive game by providing means so that scores may be kept of the participants performances.

Another object of my invention is to provid a game for boys and adults to improve their control in throwing baseballs and developing and exercising the arm muscles for pitchers, catchers and fielders.

It is another object ofmy invention to provide a game in which any number of players may participate in competition for high score, or in which single players may play for exercise and scores.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a pitchers and fielders target which may be adapted for use by bothboys and men and which may be used indoors or outdoors.

Other and further features and objects of the invention will be more apparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of the accompanying drawing and following specifications, wherein is disclosed a single exemplary embodiment of the invention, with the understanding, however, that such changes may be made therein as fall within the scope of the appended claim,

without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In said drawing: Figure 1 is a front view in elevation of a target constructed according to one embodiment of my invention.

spective and partly in section illustrating how the pocket of the target shown is joined to the front of the target, and

Figure 4 illustrates a score board for use in connection with the target game.

Referring now to the drawing:

In providing a target according to one embodiment of my invention, I preferably utilize a pair of side rails or stakes I0 and H, and these vertical rails are preferably joined by a top rail l2 and usually by a bottom rail [3, though I have found that the bottom rail 13 may be omitted if desired. These members IO, N, l2 and I3 constitute the frame for the target, and this frame is preferably provided with back braces I4 and I6 pivotally attached to the upper ends of the rails l0 and H by means of the pins l1 and I8 which permit the back braces to be pivoted rearwardly and brought to rest on the ground or floor surface tov brace the target against the impact of the baseballs. may be sharpened, as indicated at [8 and I9,

Theside rails l0 and II to permit them to be driven into the ground, as at 2|, or they may be received in suitable openings in pedestals 22,, as indicated in Figure 2,

to permit the target to be used indoors.

The

pedestal 22 may be constructed by pouring cement into a pail and forming the openings with the lower ends of the rails I0 and II.

The rails pitched balls.

The main sheet of the target is indicated at 24 and is preferably rectangular in shape. The upper and lower ends of this target 24 are folded back on each other to provide loops or hems, indicated at 26 and 21. These hems are sufficiently wide that the upper hem may be slipped over the upper bar l2 and the lower hem slipped over a cross piece 28.

I prefer to permit the lower.

end of the target to move to a limited degree to permit the target to more readily absorb the shock of the baseballs which strike it. The edges of the top and bottom rails or crosspieces, l2 and 28 respectively, are rounded to prevent cutting or Wear of the hem of the target material, which may be of heavy canvas or the like.

The frame members 10, ll, [2, l3, and 28 here shown may be of wood, preferably oak, iron pipe, angle iron, steel rods or the like, and the parts may be painted, galvanized, cadmium, or chromium plated to prevent rusting.

I preferably provide a rectangular opening 35 in the center of the target which corresponds in general with the area through which the baseball must pass in a baseball game to be a strike or the area through which the ball must be thrown if the ball is received from a fielder. I have found that the size most desirable for boys up to fourteen is a target 3' x 3' with a square opening 12" x 12", and the player ordinarily throwing from a position of approximately 25 feet. For boys fourteen to eighteen a larger target 4 x 4 with an opening or bulls eye 17 x 24" is about right and corresponds approximately to the distance between the knees and shoulders of boys of about fourteen to eighteen years of age. The players may stand as far as 40 feet from this target. For boys over eighteen and adults, I have found a target 5 x 4' to be approximately the correct size with the bulls eye 17 1 x 28" the ball preferably being thrown from a distance of about 60 feet.

In order to catch thrown balls I preferably provide a bag or pouch 36 of canvas or net which is secured to the edges 3!, 32, 33 and 34 of the rectangular opening 35. This pouch is preferably constructed of one strip of material 31 which is approximately twice as long as the edge 32 of the opening. This strip is sewed to the canvas 24 at the upper edge 3! and with its lower edge to the edge 33, to thus form a pouch. The sides of this pouch or bag are closed with approximately triangular pieces 4| and 42 to provide a bag having an opening at the front thereof through the target. In securing the bag 36 to the canvas 24 of the target, I preferably secure the parts 37, 4| and 42 to the front face of the edge of the opening by means of a single row of stitching, as indicated at 43, and then cover this joint by a reinforcing strip or binding, indicated at M, which is secured to both the bag and the target 24 by means of double stitching indicated at 48 and 41.

The entire target sheet and bag are preferably of white so as to be easily seen and with the binding 44 around the bulls eye of some contrasting color such as black. The binding should, of course, be colored with a fast, noniading dye so that the color will remain durable even when left out in the rain or sun.

The target sheet 24 may hang from the upper bar l2 merely by gravity, but I preferably employ tension springs 48 and 49 at the ends of the member 28 and secure these springs to the junction of the lower bar l3 and the side members it] and H. These springs serve to absorb the shock of balls striking the target sheet.

In playing the game competitive scores may be kept and counted if desired, each player being allowed a certain number of balls to pitch each inning. A ball passing through the opening 35 and into the bag may count 1, the balls hitting the target sheet 2 or missing the target not being counted, or a ball hitting the bull's eye might be given the value of 2', and a ball hitting the sheet 24 a value of 1, while balls that miss the target altogether would not count in the score.

A suggested form for scoring is indicated in Figure 4 and the following method of scoring may be used. In a game of nine innings, each player may receive six balls. He may be allowed a maximum of three strikes in any one inning. The number of strikes actually made in each inning are entered in the top horizontal column under the proper inning. If the player had any balls left after making his three strikes in any given inning, he is given credit for them in the lower column, marked Spare balls. At the end of the game, that is after nine innings have been played, each player is entitled to pitch as many extra balls in an extra inning as he has credited to his score in the spare balls column. The strikes made during this extra inning are added to those made in the first nine innings. This gives a player a chance to improve his score. As a specific example of scoring, a player may throw three strikes with his first three balls. The player is then credited with three strikes and three spare balls. He is allowed during the extra inning at the end of the game to pitch the total of the spare balls shown.

It is apparent that I have provided a target which not only catches the ball but also indicates whether or not the ball has struck the bulls eye and should count as a strike. The balls which are strikes are caught so that the player can readily retrieve them. The target is thus a catcher and an umpire combined. It not only catches the balls which are strikes, but the fact that the balls are caught in the bag indicates they were strikes. The target as a whole is made to absorb the shock of the thrown baseballs and the bag and target sheet are reinforced to prevent tearing at the corners. Sufficient force-absorbing means are provided to receive the shock of the thrown balls. The device is inexpensive to manufacture and may be used indoors and outdoors.

It is apparent that a device constructed in accordance with my invention is adapted to other uses. It may be used as a target for practicing goli' shots.

Although I have described a specific embodiment of my invention, it is apparent that modifications thereof may be made by those skilled in the art. Such modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim. as my invention:

In a target, a rectangular frame including leg members, top and bottom cross bars and bracing members extending rearwardly from the upper ends of the leg members, a target sheet hemmed along its upper and lower edges, the upper hemmed edge adapted to be received on the upper cross bar, a cross piece received within the lower hem, springs attached to the ends of the cross piece and to the leg members at their juncture with the lower crossbar, the target sheet having a substantially rectangular opening near the center thereof, a pouch somewhat longer than the height of the opening, the edges of the pouch extending through the opening so as to lie against the front of the target sheet, and a binding strip of a color to contrast with the target sheet fastened around the opening by stitching through both the edges of the pouch and the target sheet.

EDWARD W. KRIEKARD. 

